Nucleophilic Reaction upon Electron-Deficient Pyridone Derivatives. X.One-Pot Synthesis of 3-Nitropyridines by Ring Transformation of 1-Methyl-3,5-dinitro-2-pyridone with Ketones or Aldehydes in the Presence of Ammonia

The reaction of 1-methyl-3,5-dinitro-2-pyridone (1a) with ketones or aldehydes in the presence of ammonia gave alkyl- and/or aryl-substituted 3-nitropyridines (6) in moderate to high yields. Enamines derived from the ketones gave better results than did the ketones themselves; on the other hand, those derived from the aldehydes gave no 6 at all. On the basis of deuterium-labeled experiments, a mechanism comprising competitive ring transformations of 1a is proposed.